US patent office grants Charpentier CRISPR patent

ERS Genomics Ltd, which was formed to provide broad access to the CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property co-owned by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, announced that the US Patent Office has issued US patent number 10,266,850 to Dr. Charpentier, Director  at the Max Planck Institute of Infection Biology in Berlin, together with The Regents of the University of California and University of Vienna. This patent focuses on systems and methods for using CRISPR/Cas9 technology in a single guide format, including uses to target and edit or modulate genes. The patent covers uses in any cellular or non-cellular environment and delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 components by any methods.

A team at the Broad Institute led by bioengineer Feng Zhang had been granted the first US CRISPR patent in 2014. The Broad’s patents covered CRISPR’s use in so-called eukaryotic cells, which include animal and human cells. The new patent decision does not affect the CRISPR patent estate held by Broad, MIT, and Harvard in any way, Broad Institute spokesman David Cameron said in statement.

Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics, said: We are pleased that this patent has now been granted. Previously, this patent was involved in an interference proceeding, however the US Patent Office released the claims from the interference as they were broader in scope than the claims of the Broad Institute.  Importantly, the scope of the patent includes any cellular or non-cellular environment, making it applicable not only in vitro but also across living plants, animals, and human cells.
 
Dr. Charpentier already has three previous patents issued relating to CRISPR/Cas9 in the US and recently announced the grant of a third patent in Europe. Patents have now been issued to Dr. Charpentier, The Regents of the University of California and University of Vienna for this cutting-edge technology in over 40 countries worldwide